AMD Radeon RX 6600S vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data shows a single direct comparison between the AMD Radeon RX 6600S and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960 in the Geekbench OpenCL test. The AMD Radeon RX 6600S scores 66,435 points, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960 scores 18,925 points. This gives the AMD part a decisive 251% advantage, meaning it delivers more than three times the raw compute throughput in this OpenCL workload. The delta is enormous, far outside the margin of error, and it reflects the generational gap between the two architectures.

For context, the RX 6600S sits in the 49th percentile among all GPUs in the database, with an average benchmark score of 10,629. Its nearest rivals are the AMD Radeon R9 M275X (average score 10,582, delta +0.4%), the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 Ti (average score 10,690, delta -0.6%), the NVIDIA Quadro K2200 (average score 10,761, delta -1.2%), and the AMD Radeon RX 550X (average score 10,481, delta +1.4%). These rivals are all within roughly 1.5% of the RX 6600S, indicating that its average score is tightly clustered with a group of older or lower-tier parts. In contrast, the GTX 960 has an average benchmark score of 9,273, placing it in the 45th percentile. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 465 (average score 9,294, delta -0.2%), the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 850M (average score 9,302, delta -0.3%), the AMD Radeon R7 M380 (average score 9,313, delta -0.4%), and the AMD Radeon Vega 8 (average score 9,221, delta +0.6%). The GTX 960's average score is thus about 13% lower than the RX 6600S, even though its closest rivals are similarly clustered within 0.6% of its own average.

The single head-to-head result, however, tells a much larger story than the average scores suggest. The OpenCL test is compute-heavy and favors the newer architecture, but the 251% lead is consistent with the raw specifications: the RX 6600S has a peak FP32 throughput of 7.168 TFLOPS versus 2.413 TFLOPS for the GTX 960, a 2.97x difference. The benchmark delta is slightly lower than the theoretical compute ratio, which is expected due to driver overhead and memory subsystem effects, but the direction is unambiguous. There is no benchmark in the data where the GTX 960 wins; the win count is 1 for the RX 6600S and 0 for the GTX 960.

Architecture Differences

The two GPUs come from different design generations and process nodes. The AMD Radeon RX 6600S uses the Navi 23 chip built on TSMC's 7 nm process, with a die size of 237 mm² and 11,060 million transistors, giving a transistor density of 46.7 million per mm². The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960 uses the GM206 chip built on TSMC's 28 nm process, with a die size of 228 mm² and 2,940 million transistors, yielding a transistor density of just 12.9 million per mm². The RX 6600S packs nearly four times as many transistors into a slightly larger die, which is a direct result of the 7 nm node advantage.

Architecturally, the RX 6600S is based on RDNA 2.0, while the GTX 960 is based on Maxwell 2.0. This is a fundamental difference: RDNA 2.0 includes dedicated ray tracing cores, 28 of them, which the GTX 960 lacks entirely. The RX 6600S also supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), while the GTX 960 is limited to DirectX 12 (12_1). Both support OpenGL 4.6 and Vulkan 1.4, so the API gap is mostly in the DirectX feature set and ray tracing capabilities.

The compute resources differ substantially. The RX 6600S has 1,792 shading units, 112 texture mapping units, and 64 ROPs. The GTX 960 has 1,024 shading units, 64 TMUs, and 32 ROPs. This means the RX 6600S has 75% more shaders, 75% more TMUs, and double the ROPs. The pixel rate for the RX 6600S is 128.0 GPixel/s versus 37.70 GPixel/s for the GTX 960, a 3.4x advantage. The texture rate is 224.0 GTexel/s versus 75.39 GTexel/s, a 2.97x advantage. These ratios align closely with the FP32 compute gap.

Memory is another major difference. The RX 6600S uses 4 GB of GDDR6 on a 128-bit bus, with a memory clock of 1750 MHz (14 Gbps effective) and bandwidth of 224.0 GB/s. The GTX 960 uses 2 GB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus, with a memory clock of 1753 MHz (7 Gbps effective) and bandwidth of 112.2 GB/s. The RX 6600S therefore has double the capacity and exactly double the bandwidth. The bus width is identical at 128 bits, but the GDDR6 standard and higher effective data rate account for the bandwidth doubling.

The power envelope is reversed relative to performance. The RX 6600S has a TDP of 80 W and is an integrated graphics product (IGP) with no power connectors, meaning it draws power through the motherboard. The GTX 960 has a TDP of 120 W, uses a dual-slot form factor, requires a single 6-pin power connector, and has a suggested PSU of 300 W. The RX 6600S achieves higher performance at lower power, which is a hallmark of the 7 nm process and RDNA 2.0 efficiency. The bus interface also differs: PCIe 4.0 x8 for the RX 6600S versus PCIe 3.0 x16 for the GTX 960. The newer PCIe 4.0 standard provides more bandwidth per lane, so the x8 link is comparable to a PCIe 3.0 x16 link even before accounting for the higher memory bandwidth.

Where Each One Wins

Based on the recorded data, the AMD Radeon RX 6600S wins the only available head-to-head benchmark, and its specification sheet suggests several clear use cases where it dominates. The RX 6600S is the obvious choice for compute-heavy workloads such as OpenCL acceleration, machine learning inference, or any task that leverages FP32 throughput. Its 7.168 TFLOPS FP32 performance is nearly three times the GTX 960's 2.413 TFLOPS, and the 251% OpenCL lead confirms this in practice. The 4 GB GDDR6 memory with 224.0 GB/s bandwidth also makes it suitable for modern game textures and larger data sets, whereas the GTX 960's 2 GB GDDR5 with 112.2 GB/s bandwidth may hit capacity or bandwidth walls in newer titles.

The RX 6600S also has a clear advantage in feature support. Its DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) and 28 ray tracing cores enable hardware-accelerated ray tracing and mesh shaders, which the GTX 960 cannot handle. The GTX 960's DirectX 12 (12_1) lacks these features, so any game using ray tracing or variable-rate shading will either run poorly or not run at all. The RX 6600S is therefore the better pick for future-proof gaming, especially in titles that leverage DX12 Ultimate features. Its lower TDP of 80 W also makes it viable for slim or passively cooled systems, whereas the GTX 960's 120 W TDP and dual-slot cooler require more airflow and a dedicated power connector.

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960, however, has its own niche based on the data. Its 2 GB memory and 112.2 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient for older games or esports titles, and its 2.413 TFLOPS FP32 is enough for 1080p gaming at medium settings in titles from its era. The GTX 960 was released on 2015-01-21, while the RX 6600S came later on 2022-01-03, so the GTX 960 has a seven-year head start in driver maturity for legacy applications. Its PCIe 3.0 x16 interface is universally compatible with older motherboards, whereas the RX 6600S's PCIe 4.0 x8 may run at reduced bandwidth on older platforms, though the practical impact is minimal for most workloads.

The GTX 960 also has a larger physical footprint (241 mm length, 9.5 inches), which some users may prefer for airflow, but the RX 6600S's IGP form factor means it occupies no expansion slot at all. For users with a pre-existing PCIe 3.0 platform and no need for ray tracing, the GTX 960 can still serve as a budget-oriented option, but the data shows it is severely outclassed in compute and modern features. The RX 6600S wins in every measurable category: raw compute, memory bandwidth, feature set, and power efficiency. The only scenario where the GTX 960 wins is compatibility with older software that may not have drivers for RDNA 2.0, though Vulkan 1.4 and OpenGL 4.6 support on the RX 6600S mitigate this.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has higher OpenCL performance?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 6600S scores 66,435 in Geekbench OpenCL, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960 scores 18,925. The RX 6600S leads by 251%.

Q: What are the memory capacities and types?

A: The RX 6600S has 4 GB of GDDR6 on a 128-bit bus with 224.0 GB/s bandwidth. The GTX 960 has 2 GB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus with 112.2 GB/s bandwidth. The RX 6600S has double the capacity and double the bandwidth.

Q: Does the GTX 960 support ray tracing?

A: No. The GTX 960 has no ray tracing cores and supports DirectX 12 (12_1). The RX 6600S has 28 ray tracing cores and supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2).

Q: What is the power consumption difference?

A: The RX 6600S has a TDP of 80 W and is an integrated GPU with no power connectors. The GTX 960 has a TDP of 120 W, uses a dual-slot design, and requires a 6-pin power connector with a suggested PSU of 300 W.

Q: How do their average benchmark scores compare?

A: The RX 6600S has an average benchmark score of 10,629, placing it in the 49th percentile. The GTX 960 has an average score of 9,273, placing it in the 45th percentile. The RX 6600S is about 14.6% higher.

Q: Which GPU has a smaller manufacturing process?

A: The RX 6600S uses a 7 nm TSMC process, while the GTX 960 uses a 28 nm TSMC process. The RX 6600S has a transistor density of 46.7 million per mm² versus 12.9 million per mm² for the GTX 960.

Specification Differences

Below are the fields where the two GPUs differ, based on the recorded data.

| Field | AMD Radeon RX 6600S | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960 |

|-------|---------------------|------------------------|

| Architecture | RDNA 2.0 | Maxwell 2.0 |

| Generation | Navi Mobile (RX 6000M) | GeForce 900 |

| Process Node | 7 nm | 28 nm |

| Transistors | 11,060 million | 2,940 million |

| Die Size | 237 mm² | 228 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 46.7M / mm² | 12.9M / mm² |

| Base Clock | 1700 MHz | 1127 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 2000 MHz | 1178 MHz |

| Game Clock | 1881 MHz | N/A |

| Memory Clock | 1750 MHz (14 Gbps effective) | 1753 MHz (7 Gbps effective) |

| Memory Size | 4 GB | 2 GB |

| Memory Type | GDDR6 | GDDR5 |

| Memory Bandwidth | 224.0 GB/s | 112.2 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 1792 | 1024 |

| TMUs | 112 | 64 |

| ROPs | 64 | 32 |

| Ray Tracing Cores | 28 | N/A |

| Pixel Rate | 128.0 GPixel/s | 37.70 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 224.0 GTexel/s | 75.39 GTexel/s |

| FP32 Performance | 7.168 TFLOPS | 2.413 TFLOPS |

| FP16 Performance | 14.34 TFLOPS (2:1) | N/A |

| TDP | 80 W | 120 W |

| Slot Width | IGP | Dual-slot |

| Power Connectors | None | 1x 6-pin |

| Suggested PSU | N/A | 300 W |

| Bus Interface | PCIe 4.0 x8 | PCIe 3.0 x16 |

| Display Outputs | Portable Device Dependent | 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 2.0, 3x DisplayPort 1.2 |

| DirectX Support | 12 Ultimate (12_2) | 12 (12_1) |

| Release Date | 2022-01-03 | 2015-01-21 |

| Predecessor | Polaris Mobile | GeForce 700 |

| Successor | N/A | GeForce 10 |

| Length | N/A | 241 mm (9.5 inches) |

The RX 6600S also has a higher average benchmark score (10,629 vs 9,273) and a higher percentile rank (49th vs 45th). The GTX 960 has a launch MSRP of 199 USD, while the RX 6600S has no recorded launch MSRP.